Ironing-machine



{No Model.)

G. P. WALTER.

IRONING MACHINE. No. 593,141. I Patented Nov. 2, 1897.

ATTORNEYS.

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UNITED STATES nrnr @rrrcn.

GEORGE P. VALTER, OF BROWNWOOD, TEXAS.-

IRONINGQMACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,141, dated November 2, 1897. Application filed April 30, 1897. Serial No. 634,526. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE P. WALTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brownwood, in the county of Brown and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ironing-Machines, of which the following specification contains a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved ironing-machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the upper portion of the same, showing the adjusted position of the iron-holder arm and the shifting-lever, the iron being removed. Fig. 3 illustrates the shifting-lever and its connection to its support. Fig. 4 is a detail view of part of the vibrating lever, showing the pin by which it is connected with the operating-strap. Fig. 5 shows the supporting-legs and the cross-piece to which they are hinged; and Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the iron-holder, the iron, and the shifting-lever engaging the iron.

My invention relates to ironing-machines for household use.

The objects are to produce a simple, efiective, and inexpensive ironing-machine especially adapted for household or family use in which the sad-iron may be reciprocated by foot-power and shiftedlaterally by a handoperated shifter; also, to provide for the ready connection and removal of the sad-iron; also, to provide a folding frame and table to provide for the ready storage or shipment of the machine; also, to provide for properly weighting the sad-iron, and, also, to provide means for holding the iron-holding arm-shifter in an elevated position when desired.

The invention will be first described, and then specifically pointed out in the claims.

A represents a trestle-like frame, consisting of the four outwardly-bowed legs A A and A A and the transverse cross-piece A to which said legs are secured at their upper ends. The rear legs A A are hinged to the rear side of the cross-piece A while the front legs A A are hinged to the front side by hinges a 03 seas to fold toward each other. In order to hold the legs from wabbling or working loose when the iron is being operated, I provide their inner faces at their up- The rear legs A are connected near their lower ends by a cross-piece a and the front legs by a cross-piece a Bis the table, hinged at its rear edge to the front side of the crosspiece A so as to swing down from its hori-- zontal position into the space between the front legs, and the table is supported in its horizontal position by means of the brace or arm 13, hinged to the cross-piece a as clearly shown in the drawings.

C is a vertically-extending lever pivoted between its ends to a suitable bearing 0 on the rear side of the cross-piece A and against the forward side of the lower end of this lever bears the free end of a spring-arm G, which tends to throw the upper end of said lever forwardly.

The opposite movement of the lever O is effected by means of the large pulleyD, mounted on ashaft D, journaled on the front legs A A and having a strap d connecting it with a lateral pin 0, extending from the lower end of lever G. The shaft I) is also provided with a smaller pulley D having an oppositely-wound strap (1' connecting it with the treadle-lever E, the rear end of whichis pivoted to one of the rear legs A. Thus when the treadle-lever is depressed it will, through strap (Z rotate the two pulleys forwardly, and thus pull the lower end of the lever O forwardly against the action of spring (3, and as'soon as the treadle-lever is released the spring will impart an opposite movement to the lever G and unwind strap (1 from its pulley D and wind strap (1 on its pulley D By this means the lever C may be given a rapid vibratory movement.

E is the bowed arm, which carries the iron E' by means of a spring-clamp or iron-holder E secured to its free end. The side arms 6 e of this clamp or holderhave their lower ends bent inwardly, as at e, so as to enter suitable apertures in opposite sides of an ordinary sadiron E. To the sides of the clamp or'holder E are secured upwardlyextending handpieces E which when grasped by the hand and pressed together will force the lower ends of the arms 6 e apart and release the iron E.

The rear end of the bowed arm E is hinged to the lever C, so as to swing horizontally and vertically. The iron E is shifted laterally or vertically, as the work requires, by means of a shifting-lever F, pivoted to swing vertically On a horizontally-turning pin F, mounted in an aperture in the middle of the upper side of cross-piece A This shifter F is provided with a longitudinal slot f, in which reciprocates the handle of the sad -iron, the iron holder or clamp E straddling the shifter and moving freely therealong as the iron is reciprocated by the lever O and its arm E. The outer end of the shifter is provided or formed with a handle f, by grasping which the operator guides or shifts the rapidly-reciprocating iron in any direction.

In order to apply weight to the iron, I slot the bowed arm E, as at 6 and pass therethrough the adjusting-bolt g of a weight G. By adjusting the weight G along the slot a greater or less pressure will be exerted on the sad-iron, as will be readily seen.

H is a strap secured to the upper end of lever 0 and having an aperture or ring at its free end adapted to engage a hook e on the arm E and hold said arm and the shifter F elevated, as shown in Fig. 2. The pin 0 at the lower end of lever O is removable and reversible. The shaft D may be reversed end for end, so as to bring its pulleys to the righthand side of the frame, and the treadle-lever is removable and may be pivoted to the right rear leg A, and when thus arranged the treadle may be operated by the operators right foot instead of the left.

What I claim is- 1. An ironing-machine, provided with a vibrating lever arranged to carry a sad-iron, a shifting-lever pivoted to swing in both a horizontal and a vertical plane about a fixed axis and arranged for sliding connection with the sad-iron, and means for operating said vibrating lever independently of said shifting-lever as set forth.

2. The combination with the ironing-table and its support, of a vibrating lever arranged to carry a sad-iron, a shifting-lever mounted to swing about a fixed point on said support and in both a horizontal and a vertical plane, a connection between said vibrating lever and shifting-lever and by which said vibrating lever may be reciprocated independently of said shifting-lever, and means for operating said vibrating lever, as set forth.

3. The combination with the ironing-table, a vibrating lever, and means for operating said lever; of an arm pivoted to said lever, said arm extending over the table and carrying at its free end a sad-iron, and a shiftinglever pivoted to move in both. a horizontal and a vertical plane about a fixed axis,being arranged to move independently of said vibrating lever and guiding said arm in its reciprocating movement, as and for the purpose set forth.

4:. The combination with an ironing-table,

ism and havinga pivoted arm extending over the table and provided at its free end with means for engaging a sad-iron, of a horizontally-swinging shifting-lever pivoted at the rear end of the table and extending forwardly past the free end of said pivoted arm and adapted to shift said arm laterally while it is being reeiprooated, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with an ironing-table a reciprocating horizontally-swinging arm extending thereover and provided with a clamp or holder for the sad-iron, and means for reciprocating said arm, of a horizontallyswinging shifting-lever beneath the said arm and in sliding connection with the free end of the iron-holding arm to shift the same laterally while being reeiprooated, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with an ironing-table, a reciprocating horizontally-swinging arm provided at its free end with a clamp or holder for the sad-iron and means for reciprocating said arm, of a horizontally swinging longitudinally-slotted shifting-lever below said arm and extending through said clamp or holder, the sad-iron handle being adapted to work freely in said slot, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination in an ironing-machine, with the reciprocating lever, and the arm pivoted thereto, of the spring clamp or holder for the iron, the same comprising spring-arms 6 having their lower ends inwardly turned to engage apertures in the sides of the iron, and spring-arms E secured to the arms e and by which the latter may be withdrawn from engagement with the iron, as and for the purpose set forth.

8. The combination with the ironing-table, and the vertically-extending vibrating lever provided with an operating mechanism, of an arm pivoted to the said lever and extending forwardly over the table, a sad-iron holder or clamp at the free end of said arm, and a longitudinally-slotted horizontally-swin gin g shifting-lever pivoted at the rear end of the table and extending forwardly through the said clamp or holder, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination with the ironing-table and the vertically-extending vibrating lever having an operating mechanism, of an arm pivoted at its rear end to said lever to swing laterally and vertically and having a clamp or holder at its free end for a sad-iron, and a longitudinally-slotted vertically and horizontally swinging shifting-lever extending through said clamp or holder for the purpose set forth.

10. The combination with the table, of a treadle and shaft therebelow, pulleys on said shaft, a strap connecting one of said pulleys with the treadle, a vertically-extending spring-pressed vibrating lever, a strap connecting the-other pulley with the lower end of said lever to move it against the action of its spring when the treadle is depressed, an arm extending forwardly from the lever over too the table and provided at its forward free end with a sad-iron clamp or holder and means for shifting the said arm laterally substantially as set forth.

11. The combination with the four legs and the cross-piece to which they are hinged, of the ironing-table hinged to said cross-piece, a vibrating lever O pivotally connected to said cross-piece and carrying a sad-iron arranged to be moved over said table, a spring 0 attached to said cross-piece and having its free end bear against the forward side of the lower end of the vibrating lever, whereby the upper end of the same is thrown forwardly, and a treadle having a strap-and-pulley connection with the lower end of said lever and by which it is moved against the action of said spring, as and for the purpose set forth.

12. An ironing-machine, comprising the combination with the four legs and the crosspiece to which they are hinged near their upper ends so as to fold together, of a table hinged to said crosspiece, a hinged brace to hold the table in its horizontal position, a vertically-extending vibrating lever pivoted between its ends to said cross-piece, a treadle operatively connected with the lower end of ties so as to fold toward each other, dowelpins and apertures for connecting the legs to said crosspiece above the hinges, a table hinged at its rear edge to said cross-piece to fold down, and a hinged brace or arm to hold the table horizontal,substantially as set forth.

14. An ironing-machine, provided with a vibrating lever arranged to carry a sad-iron, a shifting-lever pivoted to rotate about a fixed axis and provided with a longitudinal slot and a handle at its free end, the handle of the iron being inserted in said slot and free to reciprocate therein, and means for operating said vibrating lever, as set forth.

GEO. P. WALTER.

Witnesses:

'l. P. LATHEM, DANCY LEDBETH. 

